1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile apparatuses for cutting vegetation and, more particularly, is directed to mobile apparatuses adapted to selectively cut a variety of forms of vegetation on both sides of a discrete pathway such as a railroad right-of-way.
2. Description of the Invention Background
According to the American Railroad Association, there are approximately 173,000 miles of actively used railroad tracks in the United States. Such tracks traverse a variety of different types of terrain ranging from desert land to heavily wooded hardwood forests. In the wooded areas or areas where brush and vegetation adjoin the railroad right-of-ways, that vegetation requires periodic maintenance to prevent it from overgrowing or overlaying the tracks. Since the very first steam engine chugged along the tracks, railroad personnel have been plagued with the problem of controlling the growth of vegetation adjoining railroad right-of-ways.
Over the years, a variety of methods have been developed to control the growth of vegetation along railroad tracks. The earliest methods typically involved sending groups of individuals equipped with saws, sickles, and scythes to trim the vegetation along the tracks. Such method, while somewhat effective, was labor intensive and time consuming.
With the advancement of chemical research, came the development of herbicides for controlling the growth of vegetation. Such herbicide could be sprayed onto the surrounding vegetation by spraying devices mounted on a vehicle designed to ride upon the rails. This method of vegetation control, however, is not particularly well adapted for removal of large forms of vegetation such as tree branches and the like that overhang the trackway.
Other mobile apparatuses have been developed for cutting vegetation along railroad right-of-ways. For example, the apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,830 to Davison can be arranged to ride upon railroad tracks and cut adjacent vegetation and trees. That apparatus, however, cannot cut trees and vegetation simultaneously on both sides of the railroad tracks while moving therealong. In particular, the operator must cut the vegetation on one side of the tracks and then pivot the cutting head to the opposite side of the tracks to cut the vegetation on that side before advancing the device along the tracks. As such, while that apparatus eliminates much of the manual labor associated with prior vegetation cutting methods, it is still quite time consuming because the cutting head must be moved from one side of the track to the other before the vehicle can be advanced. In addition, this apparatus cannot cut brush immediately adjacent to the tracks while simultaneously trimming larger adjacent vegetation such as trees and tree branches.
Another railroad right-of-way brush and weed cutting apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,786,320 to Larson. That apparatus is designed to ride upon the railroad tracks while cutting weeds and brush located immediately adjacent to and between the rails. That device, however, lacks the capability to trim larger articles such as trees and tree branches and the like that are located a few feet away from the railroad tracks, yet may overhang the tracks.
Thus, there is a need for a mobile vegetation cutting apparatus that can travel on railroad tracks and safely cut vegetation, trees, and branches simultaneously on both sides of the trackway while moving therealong. There is a further need for a mobile vegetation cutting apparatus that can cut vegetation at various levels above and below the railway bed on both sides of the railroad right-of-way. There is yet another need for a vegetation cutting device that can safely cut a variety of different types of vegetation.